No, wait, don't tell me – I'll just come find you. I mean it. I'm mustering my all for one more grand tour this year, sowing my sunny oats all the from Eastern Europe to Newer York. So if you live within global-melting distance of the Atlantic Ocean, there is a 30% chance of me being within 30 miles of you at some point in the next three weeks, and I vote we take advantage of it. Here's what I got!
10/21 - 23 Glasgow, UK
You know, there used to be days when I doubted myself. Then one day, Dr. Robert Maslen invited me to speak to his Masters of Fantasy Literature students at the University of Glasgow, and I forgot how to angst. The big day is tomorrow! So, so looking forward to this – it's going to be such a good time!
10/23 - 25 Nottingham, UK
It's a myth! It's a legend! No, it's FantasyCon, which together with Nine Worlds makes up the crown jewel of the British SFF con scene. This is the nomadic home of the British Science Fiction Award – and this year, the circus has come to Nottingham. Look me up – schedule is below the cut!
10/26 - 30 Bulgaria!Yes. Because BULGARIA IS NICE, dammit! Actually, this leg of the trip is less of a professional venture and more of a moral obligation. From their secret underground fortress in the Balkans, 'Evil' Dan Bensen and his fiendish family are plotting world domination and eating cake – and I get to help!
10/31 - 11/3 London
Someday, I will be a big and famous author who does big and famous things in this biggest and most famous of cities. Until then, I roam wild and free: streaking through the tubes, crashing bookstores, and inveigling dinner invitations out of the locals. Watch out, London: I got an Oyster card, a Blackberry, and a penchant for misbehavior!
11/3 - 5 – Philadelphia
Okay, less Philly and more Pennsylvania in general – but I'm sure I can make time to cheez-wiz the liberty bell at some point. So excited to see Ally Bishop in her native habitat!
11/5 -8 – Saratoga Springs, NY
World Fantasy Con, like the world itself, just keeps on turning. This year, it's turned up in upstate New York, which is just fine by me: this is my first time at the convention AND in New York – and in both cases, everyone who's ANYone hangs out there. Watch me infiltrate paradise and ingratiate myself with the beautiful people!
And then, of course, I will go home to sandwich myself firmly between cat and couch, to hibernate as hard as humanly possible until March. Once more unto the airport, dear friends... once more!
FantasyCon Schedule
Wanted, Dead or Alive: The Weird Western
Friday, Oct. 23rd - Suite 2 - 7.00pm
The Western has been described as ‘like peanut butter: rarely served on its own, but seems to go with everything.’ Recently the genre has seen something of a revitalisation within the SFF domain. How are the tropes of cowboy-lore being dusted down and given new spurs with horror, fantasy and sci-fi influences? Is it more than just horses and guns and can it become an enduring sub-genre? Our panel of gun-totin’ varmints hits the trail to wrangle some answers to the enduring mythology of the wild and weird West.
Moderator: Anne Perry
Panellists: Guy Adams, Ben Galley, Stark Holborn, Benedict J Jones, Arianne ‘Tex’ Thompson
Welcome to my Place: Making Your World Better
Saturday, Oct 24th - Suite 2 - 10.00am
Setting has a huge effect on the impact of your story, so how do you create a believable, interesting world which ‘feels real’ without info-dumping or losing the plot? Our panel of experienced world-builders and creative writers shares tips and techniques for bring your fictional world into being.
• what comes first: the story, the setting or the characters?
• in what ways do they inform each other?
• how much detail do you need and what role does research play?
• balancing originality with familiarity
Moderator: Martin Owton
Panellists: James Brogden, Adrian Faulkner, Megan Kerr, Sophia McDougall, Arianne ‘Tex’ Thompson
Reading
Saturday, Oct 24th - 7:00pm
Do you believe in interspecies dating? Come enjoy a taste of 'rural fantasy' at its finest!
Underground fortress?! I'll have you know I live in The Balkan Tower of Matriarchy! You'll see! You'll ALL see! Rrrra ha ha!
ReplyDeleteI'll believe it when I see the Hello Kitty weapons-grade plutonium!
DeleteBe sure to get yourself some illegal cheese in Bulgaria. It's what they're known for!
ReplyDeleteHell yes, buddy - pasteurization takes all the fun out of it!
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